LETTER FROM SHANA

I came of age right when the 2008 crash hit. I remember the feeling of staring at a bank account that couldn’t cover rent and groceries at the same time. But the hardest part wasn't my own struggle, it was watching my parents. They’d worked hard their whole lives, only to see their savings vanish in weeks. While the big banks got bailouts, families like mine got the bill.

My parents weren't crazy about me joining the military after high school, but after 2008, I saw a way to find some solid ground and serve the country I love. Enlisting in the U.S. Army was one of the best moves I ever made. It taught me what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself.

The lessons of 2008 never left me. I went to college to study economics because I wanted to understand how to build an economy that actually works for everyone, not just the folks at the top. In 2018, I earned my Master’s in Applied Economics from Utah State. I wanted to know how we can stop crashes before they happen and make sure a "strong economy" actually feels strong for the person working 40 hours a week.

Today, if you look at the news, they say the economy is doing great. But if you live in Utah, it doesn’t always feel that way. We see it in the skyrocketing housing prices, the hours wasted in traffic, and the stress that comes with just trying to keep up.

In 2018, I also married my husband and started a family. With two young kids at home, I planned on becoming a school teacher. I wanted a career where I could give back but still be there for my children.

I’ve seen firsthand the "miracles" our public school teachers perform. I struggled to teach my daughter her alphabet at home, but after a year in kindergarten with a pro, she was sounding out words like a champ. That’s the power of a great public school.

But while I was studying to become a teacher, I saw something that made my blood boil. Our public schools are under a coordinated attack by the Utah legislature—specifically by my opponent, Kirk Cullimore Jr.

At every turn, he’s tried to drain the funding our kids rely on. He’s tried to tie teachers' hands, weaken their ability to stand together in a union, and take tax dollars away from our neighborhood schools to give to people who already have more than enough.

These attacks on our schools, our workers, and our kids’ futures have called me back to service. I see families struggling today the same way mine did twenty years ago. I’m standing up to fight for the working class and our small businesses. It’s time we invest in our community instead of pulling the rug out from under it.